The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-12-14
JUDGE ERsKINE IN PARIS.
A Little Sketch from His Pen offs Scene
He Witnessed.

WAS A1lltI 41lllloUcl w II lDOJ
to 1877 The extract is from Mr.. Wash
burne's diary of Sept. g. 1S70-a day memo
rable in Paris, it being one of the most ex-
citing of that exciting period in that city.
Mr. Washburne says:
down to the Hotel de la Place du Palais
Royal to call on Judge John Erskine, of the
United States Dist i Court for Georgia,
who was then visiting Paris with his daugh-
ter When we cam ouc there was quite
crowd in the Rue Ri oil, bawling for Tro-
chu and demanding the republic, and as is
was in the street opposite the hotel and
looking a little threatening, | suggested to
the Judge that he and his beautiful daugh-
ter should come to my house for protection,
where they are now. AT l1.30 the Judge
and myself took an open voiture and rode
into the heart of the city to see what was
going on. We found large crowds of ex-
cited men on the boulevards, but no very
serious demonstration.
Judge Erskine has since then sent me
the following "reminiscences Of those excit-
ing days:
II also call to mind an excursion we
made to the inner boulevards on the men,
orable night of Sept. 8, 1870. About III
O'Clock you said to me: Let us go and see
the revolution, for it is nothing else Curl
GUS as Mr.. Pepys, replied: Lead on Not
DESTROYS | presume to use your own car
liage, you ordered Antoinc-that man of
many tongues-to call a tiacre or voiture.
He on the box with the coachman, away we
sped to the Place de la Concorde; but there
the press was too dense for us to pass to the
Rue Royal, SO we took the Rue Boissy
bangles and the Rue Pasquier to the Boule-
ward Haussmann, and, turning to the right
drove to the Rue Taitbout and into the
Boulevard DIES ItalienS; thence along it
and the Boulevard Montmartre to the Rue
du Faubourg Montmartre, and drew rein
at the corner of the Boulevard Poisson
Mere, you sending Antoine with the fiacre
to the Cite Bergere for safety until our re-
turn. We then walked along the Boule-
wards PoiSsionniere and Bonnie ouville to
within sixty PAGES of the Porte st. Denis
and there took post under a bright gaslight
to await the coming of the PROCESSION of
citizens, whom, we learned, was forming on
the Boulevard de La Madeleine, andt also to
observe the denoument; to witness whether
the military, whose drums we heard
in the direction of st. Lazare and the
canal de st. Denis, would oppose the
march. 1t was but a brief while after we had
selected our position until we deserted a
dark mass approaching from the Boulevard
DIES Italens, its front filled that grand thor
oughfare from troittoir to troittoir, and as
the head of the column approached us, we
could clearly see and scan the faces of the
processionists, manliness of part, steadiness
of purpose, and decision were manifest, no
childish effusiOn or indecorum was to be
seen. The great number OF these citizens
was evidently of the better class-traders,
mechanics merchants and persons of the
learned professions; SOME wore the sash of
office, some the ribbon of the Legion of
Honor Intermixed we 6 men in blouses,
zouaves, chasseurs d'Afr;ca, soldiers of the
line, women and gaminS. The head of the
column passed us, and when near the Rue
du Fauburg st. Denis, it seemed to vi
hrate-soon 1t paused, and then
halted, for doubtless soldiers were
seen, or their tramp heard advancing on TIE
Porte st. Denis But no face blanched. Not
endowed with preScience, none could divine
whether impending danger lowered around
them, or If they proceeded, the instant they
might be taken in flank, and riddled into
eternity; andsmany of these must have re-
membered the second of December! Pres
emily infantry entered from the Porte St
Denis, deepening their ranks as they came
on the boulevard the head of the column
passing over and resting just within the Rue
st. Denis thus barring any advance of the
citizens. Quickly following this movement
a body of infantry emerged from the
Boulevard de Shasbourg, and cavalry
from the Porte ST. Martin. and
marching across the Boulevards st. Denis
and st. Martin to the trottoir, halted.
While the procession remained near the Rue
du Faubourg St Denis, scores of its mem
bers broke ranks, and spread themselves
upon the sidewalk or trottoir, obscuring
our view to such an extent that / could no
longer distinctly see the rank and file; but
the mounted officers and troops were still
discernible. Yet, notwithstanding this inn
pediment, twice or thrice, caught glimpses
of the men through momentary openings
for / was intently asUute on discovery but
the chassepots at shoulder, and their fixed
sword bayonets, glistening as the light
danced upon them, were clearly visible.
When the troops entered the boulevard
from the Porte st. Denis, the citizens lead
ing in the procession, with one &C
cord and with outstretched arms,
offered fraternal welcome and filled the air
with cries of 'Vive la Garde Nationalp
'Vive la Lignep and "A bas Napoleon
But there was no response; all was still,
but not calm. Solicitude and obedience
stood opposite. The period of suspense
passed; loud word of command was given
the column front-faced the procession. Soon
another command, the glittering sword
bayonets slanting toward the citizens dis
appeared from sight. The extreme mo-
ment-of life or death-was at hand: And
the boldest held his breath for time And
HOW a long Oh anxiety anu QlSOIuSG
prevailed; but the prospect being INSTRUCTED
by the crowd on the sidewalk, and the
voices indistinct, / personally knew not
whether the citizens and soldiers passed the
time in conference, determination, or how
otherwise. AT length, still another COM
mand; and the bayonets-bright and blood
less-sprang to view, the drums beat, the
soldiers faced to the head of the column,
and marched toward the Seine and the
Boulevard st. Michel. When the encumbers
of the trottoirs had returned to the process
sion, and the military had crossed the boule-
ward and disappeared in the Rue st. Denis,
we could see the distant troops-foot and
horse-winding their way in the direction
of the Boulevard du Temple. The process
sion moved on; and joy abounded apace; but
soon countenances became sombre, then
anger snd hatred arose, for the people re-
membered the coup d'etat remembered the
political prisoners and exiles, remembered
Theirs, Hugo, Lamoriciere, and forgot the
new Paris, although it was around them!
AS the vast column proceeded, denunciatory
cries were voiced aloud and there was one
the last-more portentious and appalling
still, and, to my mind, it flew in material
shape from the front to the far, far rear,
rending the imperial structure: Decheance,
Decheance, Decheance! 1t thrills me me to
this hour. You were right, my friend, it
was a revolution and nothing less.
True, though strange, that during these
scenes, the catastrophe of Sedan was I'M
known TO the people of Paris.
1.-THE following day, amid thousands and
thousands of peODle / stood upon that his